It’s been a busy few months here at Pearson Handmade—so much making, travelling, and experimenting that September slipped away without a newsletter! The good news is that I have even more to share with you this month.
🌿 Natural Beauties: Woolly Finds in Scotland
In September, I was fortunate to spend some time in Oban, West Scotland, exploring the islands of the Inner Hebrides. My husband and I had a lovely day wandering around the tiny island of Lismore, where we discovered Sarah Campbell’s Mogwaii Design studio. Amongst the treasures there, I found hanks of Shetland wool from her own flock—irresistible! I brought some home and am currently weaving them into a scarf.
Speaking of Shetland wool, I also had three skeins from Lammermuir Wool in rich autumnal shades, bought earlier at the Wool Monty. They inspired my Tunisian Crochet Bracken Scarf. And from the same event, I picked up two skeins of Blue Faced Leicester wool from Dystopic Fibre in the shade Death by Honey—which became the spark for my advanced crochet design, the Fractured Bee Line Scarf.
🧵 Spinning Wheels Are Multiplying…
I first learned to spin with a drop spindle—a simple, affordable way to turn fibre into yarn. But soon, I wanted to produce more, so I hunted down a second-hand Ashford Traditional spinning wheel. After a little time (and a little cursing), I finally produced consistent yarn and was hooked.
Of course, the Traditional isn’t very portable, and I want to attend classes to improve. So, after much thought (and with my husband’s help assembling it), I invested in an Ashford Traveller 3 from Wingham Wools.
Now two wheels sit proudly in my living room, each with singles in progress. I feel very fortunate indeed—and now I just need to find those spinning classes.
✨ Weaving Away the Stash
For the past couple of years, my motto has been no yarn waste. I never throw yarn away—not even short ends. But what to do with those tricky leftover skeins and discontinued fancy yarns?
My answer: use them as weft on the loom. By grouping them into gentle gradients, I’ve been weaving scarves and shawls with no set rules or patterns—just the joy of combining colours and textures to see what emerges. It feels wonderfully freeing.
🎁 More Stash-Busting Ideas
Once the larger leftovers were woven, I was left with shorter yarn runs and loom waste. That’s when I discovered the joy of crocheted Mug Rugs/Coasters. Who knew small rectangles of dense stitches could be so satisfying?
Sometimes I add fringes, beads, or picots to the edges for extra charm. I’m currently writing up a pattern for these little beauties, which will be released later this month—just in time for Christmas gift-making.
🛠 Free Resources for Makers
Here’s a reminder of the free resources I’ve created to support your making:
Thank you for joining me on this month’s making journey. Whether you’re spinning, weaving, crocheting, or simply dreaming up your next project, I hope you’ve found a little inspiration here.
💬 I’d love to hear what you’re working on—share in the comments below or tag me on social media with your projects.
Happy crafting,
Sue
